Roman — Roman; 43-200
Writing tablet
A complete wooden writing tablet. Slightly worn and warped. Raised border on all 4 edges of 1 side for holding wax. Linear incisions on both sides. The side with the border bears scratched markings as a result of writing. 1 edge is pierced by 2 small holes.
The Romans used writing tablets to write letters, messages, notes and drafts of documents. Anything official that needed to last for a long time (records, contracts, legal documents), would be written in ink on thin pieces of wood or on parchment scrolls made from animal skin.
The tablets contained a layer of beeswax, which could be inscribed with a pointed ‘stylus’ (pen). Tablets could either be bound together with leather or fastened with metal binders. Once the inscription was no longer needed the wax was heated, smoothed and re-used.
- Category:
- Roman
- Object ID:
- 1249
- Object name:
- writing tablet
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- —
- Related events:
- —
- Related places:
- —
- Production date:
- Roman; 43-200
- Material:
- wood
- Measurements/duration:
- H 107 mm, W 134 mm, T 9 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- —
- Copyright holder:
- digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.